The facts behind the Atlanta Falcons and the drafting of UGA players

For fans of both UGA and the Atlanta Falcons, one common refrain has been suggested over the past decade. The Falcons avoid drafting UGA players.

Now, based on my experience as an NFL reporter, I know that no franchise—well, outside of Raiders GM Mike Mayock declaring his obvious affection for Clemson players—will allocate a majority of its focus to one particular college for the draft. The Falcons have indeed been interested in UGA players in recent years, with receiver Mecole Hardman coming to mind. Hardman, however, went earlier than many expected, as the Kansas City Chiefs took him in the second round of the 2019 draft.

To the critics’ point, the Falcons have not drafted a player from UGA since 2011. They have never taken a player from UGA in the first or second round since becoming a franchise in 1966. When you look at the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have taken 10 players from Florida since 2000, it becomes reasonable to question why Atlanta seems hesitant to take locally popular players.

But when it comes to Georgia specifically, how has the rest of the league viewed the program? That got me thinking about looking back at the past 21 draft classes, from 2000-2020, to see which teams targeted Georgia players more often, and what kind of success those teams had with these players.

Since 2000, 114 players from Georgia have been selected in the draft. During this span of 21 years, the league average of Georgia players taken is 3.6 per team. The average round for a UGA player to be selected is 4.2, with the average overall selection being 116.1. Since Kirby Smart became Georgia’s head coach, those average numbers, respectively, have been 3.7 and 112.8.

The four teams most likely to take Georgia players have been the Cincinnati Bengals (8), New England Patriots (7), Kansas City Chiefs, (6) and Chicago Bears (6). The five teams least likely to take Georgia players have been the Los Angeles Chargers (0), Jacksonville Jaguars (1), Houston Texans (1), Las Vegas Raiders (1) and Green Bay Packers (1). While the Chargers have never taken a Georgia player during an official NFL draft, they did use a fourth-round selection on cornerback Paul Oliver in the 2007 supplemental draft.

Since 2000, UGA has had 20 players taken in the first round. The Patriots have accounted for 20 percent of that group, by taking four Bulldogs in the first round.

During this time period, 13 UGA draft picks have won a Super Bowl. Nine UGA draft picks were named to the All-Pro team, and 13 to the Pro Bowl. While Tim Jennings won a Super Bowl with the team that drafted him (Indianapolis Colts), he wasn’t an All-Pro or Pro Bowl selection until he joined the Chicago Bears. The 13 former UGA draft picks selected to the Pro Bowl since 2000 have been named to the all-star game a combined 35 times.

Dallas Cowboys (4)
2000: LB Orantes Grant (7th round, 219th overall)
2001: QB Quincy Carter (2nd round, 53rd overall)
2004: DB Bruce Thornton (4th round, 121st overall)
2011: FB Shaun Chapas (7th round, 220th overall)
Average round: 5
Average pick: 153.3

New York Giants (4)
2018: LB Lorenzo Carter (3rd round, 66th overall)
2019: CB Deandre Baker (1st round, 30th overall)
2020: OT Andrew Thomas (1st round, 4th overall), LB Tae Crowder (7th round, 255th overall)
Average round: 3.5
Average pick: 88.8

Philadelphia Eagles (4)
2005: WR Reggie Brown (2nd round, 35th overall)
2006: OL Max Jean-Gilles (4th round, 99th overall)
2010: DT Jeff Owens (7th round, 243rd overall)
2012: DB Brandon Boykin (4th round, 123rd overall)
Average round: 4.3
Average pick: 125

Washington Redskins (3)
2006: DT Kedric Golston (6th round, 196th overall)
2013: DB Bacarri Rambo (6th round, 191st overall)
2016: RB Keith Marshall (7th round, 242nd overall)
Average round: 6.3
Average pick: 209.7

NFC East notes: The Giants have been all over UGA players recently, but weren’t for quite some time. Before 2018, the Giants hadn’t selected a Georgia player since 1993, when they took place-kicker Todd Peterson. Of teams that have selected below the league average of 3.6 former UGA players over 21 drafts (with a minimum of two selections), Washington has averaged the longest wait before selecting one.

Chicago Bears (6)
2008: OL Chester Adams (7th round, 222nd overall)
2013: LB Cornelius Washington (6th round, 188th overall)
2016: LB Leonard Floyd (1st round, 9th overall)
2018: LB Roquan Smith (1st round, 8th overall), WR Javon Wims (7th round, 224th overall)
2019: WR Riley Ridley (4th round, 126th overall)
Average round: 4.3
Average pick: 129.5

Detroit Lions (4)
2003: LB Boss Bailey (2nd round, 34th overall)
2009: QB Matthew Stafford (1st round, 1st overall)
2019: TE Isaac Nauta (7th round, 224th overall)
2020: RB D’Andre Swift (2nd round, 35th overall)
Average round: 3
Average pick: 73.5

Green Bay Packers (1)
2009: DE Jarius Wynn (6th round, 182nd overall)
Average round: 6
Average pick: 182

Minnesota Vikings (3)
2006: S Greg Blue (5th round, 149th overall)
2009: CB Asher Allen (3rd round, 86th overall)
2012: K Blair Walsh (6th round, 175th overall)
Average round: 4.7
Average pick: 136.7

NFC North notes: By taking Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009, the Lions spent the highest draft pick on a Georgia player over the past 21 years. The Packers only took one Georgia player during this span, but made it count, as Wynn was a contributor on its Super Bowl XLV winning team. Before Green Bay took Wynn, its previous UGA pick was fourth-rounder Jermaine Smith in 1997.

Arizona Cardinals (3)
2003: LB Tony Gilbert (6th round, 210th overall)
2006: TE Leonard Pope (3rd round, 72nd overall)
2019: OL Lamont Gaillard (6th round, 179th overall)
Average round: 5
Average pick: 153.7

Los Angeles Rams (3)
2007: OL Ken Shackleford (6th round, 190th overall)
2013: LB Alec Ogletree (1st round, 30th overall)
2015: RB Todd Gurley (1st round, 10th overall)
Average round: 2.7
Average pick: 76.7

San Francisco 49ers (2)
2016: OT John Theus (5th round, 145th overall)
2020: TE Charlie Woerner (6th round, 190th overall)
Average round: 5.5
Average pick: 120

Seattle Seahawks (4)
2002: DB Terreal Bierria (4th round, 120th overall)
2005: QB David Greene (3rd round, 85th overall)
2008: K Brandon Coutu (7th round, 235th overall)
2011: WR Kris Durham (4th round, 107th overall)
Average round: 4.5
Average pick: 136.8

NFC West notes: Of teams that have taken below the average minimum of UGA players over 21 years (with a minimum of two selections), the Rams have spent the least amount of time waiting on draft weekend. The 49ers have not been inclined to take Georgia players prior to Theus, as the last time they took one was third-rounder Keith Henderson in 1989.

Atlanta Falcons (4)
2006: QB D.J. Shockley (7th round, 223rd overall)
2007: TE Martrez Milner (4th round, 133rd overall)
2008: RB Thomas Brown (6th round, 172nd overall)
2011: LB Akeem Dent (3rd round, 91st overall)
Average round: 5
Average pick: 154.8

Carolina Panthers (5)
2002: LB Will Witherspoon (3rd round, 73rd overall)
2005: LB Thomas Davis (1st round, 14th overall)
2007: DE Charles Johnson (3rd round, 83rd overall)
2009: DT Corvey Irvin (3rd round, 93rd overall)
2019: WR Terry Godwin (7th round, 237th overall)
Average round: 3.4
Average pick: 100

New Orleans Saints (5)
2002: DE Charles Grant (1st round, 25th overall)
2003: DT Johnathan Sullivan (1st round, 6th overall), OT Jon Stinchcomb (2nd round, 37th overall)
2013: DT John Jenkins (3rd round, 82nd overall)
2015: DB Damian Swann (5th round, 167th overall)
Average round: 2.4
Average pick: 63.4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2)
2002: DB Jermaine Phillips (5th round, 157th overall), DB Tim Wansley (7th round, 233rd overall)
Average round: 6
Average pick: 195

NFC South notes: New Orleans has waited the least amount of time to take a former UGA player, with an average round selection of 2.4. The Buccaneers have only taken two UGA players since 2000, but those selections came in the same draft class.

Buffalo Bills (3)
2001: OT Jonas Jennings (3rd round, 95th overall)
2012: OL Cordy Glenn (2nd round, 41st overall)
2020: QB Jake Fromm (5th round, 167th overall)
Average round: 3.3
Average pick: 101

Miami Dolphins (5)
2000: DB Jeff Harris (7th round, 232nd overall)
2002: TE Randy McMichael (4th round, 114th overall)
2010: S Reshad Jones (5th round, 163rd overall)
2014: TE Arthur Lynch (5th round, 155th overall)
2020: OL Solomon Kindley (4th round, 111st overall)
Average round: 5
Average pick: 155

New England Patriots (7)
2000: RB Patrick Pass (7th round, 239th overall)
2001: DT Richard Seymour (1st round, 6th overall)
2004: TE Benjamin Watson (1st round, 32nd overall)
2010: DL Kade Weston (7th round, 248th overall)
2016: WR Malcolm Mitchell (4th round, 112th overall)
2018: OL Isaiah Wynn (1st round, 23rd overall), RB Sony Michel (1st round, 31st overall)
Average round: 3.1
Average pick: 98.7

New York Jets (2)
2001: DB Jamie Henderson (4th round, 101st overall)
2016: LB Jordan Jenkins (3rd round, 83rd overall)
Average round: 3.5
Average pick: 92

AFC East notes: The Patriots love UGA players. In addition to the seven players that include four first-rounders, they also signed starting center David Andrews as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

Baltimore Ravens (2)
2003: RB Musa Smith (3rd round, 77th overall)
2012: DL DeAngelo Tyson (7th round, 236th overall)
Average round: 5
Average pick: 156.5

Cleveland Browns (4)
2004: DB Sean Jones (2nd round, 59th overall)
2006: DB DeMario Minter (5th round, 152nd overall)
2009: WR Mohamed Massaquoi (2nd round, 50th overall)
2018: RB Nick Chubb (2nd round, 35th overall)
Average round: 2.8
Average pick: 66

Cincinnati Bengals (8)
2004: DE Robert Geathers (4th round, 117th overall)
2005: DE David Pollack (1st round, 17th overall), LB Odell Thurman (2nd round, 48th overall)
2010: DT Geno Atkins (4th round, 120th overall)
2011: WR A.J. Green (1st round, 4th overall), OL Clint Boling (4th round, 101st overall)
2012: TE Orson Charles (4th round, 116th overall)
2013: S Shawn Williams (3rd round, 84th overall)
Average round: 2.9
Average pick: 75.9

Pittsburgh Steelers (5)
2001: LB Kendrell Bell (2nd round, 39th overall)
2002: RB Verron Haynes (5th round, 166th overall)
2003: FB J.T. Wall (7th round, 242nd overall)
2005: WR Fred Gibson (4th round, 131st overall)
2013: LB Jarvis Jones (1st round, 17th overall)
Average round: 3.8
Average pick: 119

AFC North notes: As a division, the AFC North loves Georgia players the most. Between the four teams, a total of 19 UGA players have been selected since 2000. The Bengals have taken the most, with eight, and also are the only team to take multiple Georgia players in the same draft class in separate seasons. While the Browns have taken four UGA players since 2000, three went in the second round. Both Haynes and Tyson were a part of Super Bowl-winning teams.

Denver Broncos (4)
2003: OL George Foster (1st round, 20th overall)
2009: RB Knowshon Moreno (1st round, 12th overall)
2013: WR Tavarres King (5th round, 161st overall)
2017: WR Isaiah McKenzie (5th round, 172nd overall)
Average round: 3
Average pick: 91.3

Kansas City Chiefs (6)
2011: LB Justin Houston (3rd round, 70th overall)
2013: DB Sanders Commings (5th round, 134th overall)
2014: QB Aaron Murray (5th round, 163rd overall)
2015: WR Chris Conley (3rd round, 76th overall), LB Ramik Wilson (4th round, 118th overall)
2019: WR Mecole Hardman (2nd round, 56th overall)
Average round: 3
Average pick: 102.8

Las Vegas Raiders (1)
2007: DE Quentin Moses (3rd round, 65th overall)
Average round: 3
Average pick: 65

Los Angeles Chargers (0) None

AFC West notes: While the Chargers have avoided UGA players in recent history, there was a three-year period when they seemed to care about players out of Athens. From 1975-77, the Chargers took a player in each class, selecting OT Barrier Collier (eighth round), RB Glynn Harrison (ninth round) and WR Gene Washington (ninth round), respectively. But that’s it. Those are the only three UGA players the Chargers have ever taken in the regularly scheduled draft in franchise history.

Houston Texans (1)
2012: C Ben Jones (4th round, 99th overall)
Average round: 4
Average pick: 99

Indianapolis Colts (5)
2002: DE Josh Mallard (7th round, 220th overall)
2006: DB Tim Jennings (2nd round, 62nd overall)
2008: DE Marcus Howard (5th round, 161st overall)
2012: OT Justin Anderson (7th round, 208th overall)
2015: LB Amarlo Herrera (6th round, 207th overall)
Average round: 5.4
Average pick: 171.6

Jacksonville Jaguars (1)
2001: Marcus Stroud (1st round, 13th overall)
Average round: 1
Average pick: 13

Tennessee Titans (3)
2010: LB Rennie Curran (3rd round, 97th overall)
2019: LB D’Andre Walker (5th round, 168th overall)
2020: OT Isaiah Wilson (1st round, 29th overall)
Average round: 3
Average pick: 98

AFC South notes: Of teams that have taken over the median 3.6 UGA players over the past 21 drafts, the Colts have waited the longest on draft weekend. And if not for taking Jennings in the second round in 2006, the average round and selection numbers would fall to 6.3 and 199.

To no surprise, the Patriots have benefited the most with its their draft picks. Five of the Patriots’ selections from Georgia contributed to Super Bowl champion teams. In 2005, three former Bulldog draft picks (Pass, Seymour, and Watson) were on New England’s roster when it won the Super Bowl.

Seymour was an All-Pro from 2003-05 and a Pro Bowl selection from 2003-07. He was the only UGA draft selection who played for the Patriots to achieve those honors.

The Falcons are in the middle of the pack when it comes to selecting former Georgia players. With four players taken since 2000, they're slightly over the league average of 3.6. However, they have waited until the fifth round, on average, to take a Georgia player.

The connection fans make between the Falcons and their lack of Georgia selections probably stems from the extra attention paid to both teams. But throughout league history, only the Patriots and Bengals have honed in on Georgia players more often than what’s typical. While New England has been incredibly successful, Cincinnati has been mediocre to bad over the past two decades.

As a reporter with experience covering both Georgia and the Falcons, I can without a doubt state that Atlanta has nothing against UGA players. But until Atlanta selects its next Georgia player, I imagine we'll continue to hear this complaint from those who love both teams.